Tokay fends off Wolf Pack for crucial points

Tigers’ quest to repeat as TCAL champs begins with 2-0 record after victory

During last season’s journey to a Tri-City Athletic League championship, and the program’s first playoff win in nearly a quarter century, the Tokay boys soccer team learned plenty.

One of the lessons the Tigers have carried into 2017-18 is this — in a league with the parity of the TCAL, every single win against a contender is crucial.

So Tokay was happy to hold off West 2-1 in a TCAL match on a chilly Tuesday night at the Grape Bowl. The Tigers (6-1-2, 2-0-0 TCAL) are tied atop the TCAL standings early on with the Tracy Bulldogs (8-1-1, 2-0-0).

Tokay (25 points) edged Tracy (22 points) in the 2016-17 TCAL race.

“Very important. …As we saw, I’m pretty sure West is going to be one of our toughest opponents,” said Tigers striker Ivan Rosales, a senior captain. “Beating them — I’m pretty sure we have a good shot at winning league two years in a row.”

Early in the second half, junior striker Lio Ruiz sent a perfect through ball on a counterattack to Rosales. Rosales juked his defender and nailed a curving shot that bounced off the fingertips of the Wolf Pack goalkeeper and into the net.

Ruiz, who just joined the active roster to open TCAL play, entered after half and scored Tokay’s first goal.

“He opens up room for Ivan and makes Ivan’s job a little bit easier,” Tigers coach Ruben Gomez said.

Rosales’ goal, which gave Tokay a 20 lead, proved a massive moment. West’s Christian Neves scored on a rocket from 30 yards away with roughly 15 minutes remaining to cut the deficit to 2-1.

“He can score like that, quite often,” Wolf Pack coach Jesus Reyes said.

That homestretch after Neves’ goal was quite the finish.

A sliding Luis Alvarado (the Tigers’ keeper) cut off a potential scoring attempt with five minutes to go. Soon after, Alvarado leapt and, with one hand, swatted away a magnificent, curling shot from West’s Ricardo Benitez at the upper left-hand corner of the goal.

“He made a tremendous save. He has a pretty good instinct,” Gomez said. “He rode the bench last year. This year, he earned his spot.”

That was the Wolf Pack’s last, and best chance to equalize and salvage a point. West (6-5, 1-1) hosts Tokay on Feb. 1 in Tracy.

Reyes said facing Tokay’s “high pressure” style was a learning experience, and gives the Wolf Pack something to adjust to for their next meeting.

“It’s going to help us to be more alert and move a little quicker. They press every ball — every single ball,” Reyes said. “We were a little too slow. …that kind of messed up our game.”

Notes: Rosales leads Tokay with 12 goals and 25 points (12 goals at two points each, plus three assists at one point each). Rosales, a third-year varsity player, now has 34 career goals to go with 22 assists. …Gomez is in his 29th season coaching at Tokay. …West’s last TCAL championship came in the 2012-13 school year.